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Plant Profile

Eastern Prairie White-fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea)

This shot is a closeup of the eastern prairie fringed orchid. Photo Credit: Pati Vitt

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Threatened
Family: Orchidaceae
State: IA, IL, IN, ME, MI, MO, NY, OH, OK, ON, PA, VA, WI
Nature Serve ID: 134537
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Categories of Interest: Orchids
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

P. leucophaea is one of the largest and showiest of the native North American orchids. It is one of at least 200 North American orchid species, and is currently listed as Federally Threatened. This species has declined in the United States by more than 70 percent from original county records. This decline is due mainly to habitat loss for cropland and pasture. The 30 percent of original populations that remain are threatened by non-native species, illegal collection, and continued habitat loss. Most remaining populations are small (fewer than 50 plants), and only about 20 percent of these have adequate protection and management. The species is also found in Canada, but is now known from only 12 populations. (USFWS 1999, Brownell 1984) Eastern prairie fringed orchid is a perennial orchid, with an upright leafy stem extending up to 40 inches high from an underground tuber. Its leaves sheath the stem, and are 2-8 inches long, elliptical to lance-shaped, and progressively larger toward the stem base. The inflorescence extends above the leaves, with 5-40 creamy white flowers subtended by lance-shaped bracts. The flowers are distinguished by a 3-parted fringed lip 1.5-3 cm long and a nectar spur 1-2 inches long. This species has a close relative, Platanthera praeclara, which occurs to the west of the Mississippi River. This species is aptly named the Western prairie fringed orchid, and each have somewhat different flower morphologies, likely because they evolved in the presence of different pollinator species. (Sheviak and Bowles 1986)

Where is Eastern Prairie White-fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea) located in the wild?

Habitat:

The eastern prairie fringed orchid requires full sun for optimum growth and reproduction. It occupies tallgrass silt-loam or sand prairies, sedge meadows, fens, lakeshore grasslands, and occasionally sphagnum bogs in the eastern part of its range. (USFWS 1999)These habitats occur across six physiographic regions. The unglaciated Ozark region supports sedge meadow habitat, from which Platanthera leucophaea is apparently extirpated. Kansan glacial soils support prairie habitat, primarily west of the Mississippi River. East of the Mississippi River, Wisconsinan glacial soils support prairie, sedge meadow, and peatland habitat. The lake plains of the Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie basins support prairie habitat. Disjunct eastern populations also occur in unglaciated sedge meadow, and formerly occurred in unglaciated prairie in Oklahoma.

Distribution:

The eastern prairie fringed orchid formerly ranged westward into eastern Iowa and Missouri, with a disjunct type locality in southeastern Oklahoma. It occurred eastward in a narrowing peninsula acros

States & Provinces:

Eastern Prairie White-fringed Orchid can be found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin

Which CPC Partners conserve Eastern Prairie White-fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea)?

Chicago Botanic Garden

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

03/14/2023

Missouri Botanical Garden holds accessions of Platanthera leucophaea in orthodox seed banking.

Center for Plant Conservation

11/25/2021

In 1994, The Nature Conservancy initiated an 80 acre wetland restoration within previously cultivated lands at their Nachusa Grasslands Preserve in north central Illinois by removing and dismantling over 3 miles of field tile systems. Based in part on prior successes of introductions of Platanera leucophaes in the Chicago Region, efforts to pollinate and collect seeds from a Lake County, IL population and introduce them to the TNC preserve were approved.

In October, 1995, an unknown number of seeds from five flowers were mixed with a fair amount of sand, and hand-spread across a five acre portion of the recently restored wetland on predominantly bare, silt-loam and muck soils. No additional site preparation or seeding efforts were made.

Annual surveys for plants were made in July of each following year, beginning in 1996. No plants were observed until 2002, when seven flowering individuals were observed. Those plants were subsequently caged to protect them from deer browse, and have persisted through 2007, the last date a census was conducted.

09/23/2020

Reintroduction using dispersal of seeds from hand pollinated plants has shown that flowering plants may appear in as few as three years. (

09/23/2020

Research on reproductive biology is examining how different levels of outcrossing affect seed production and seed viability, and how seed production (when enhanced by hand pollination) may affect the longevity of individual plants. (Vitt 2000)

09/23/2020

Demographic monitoring has shown that most plants have a short life-span, often flowering only once. As a result, seed production appears to be an important life history stage and demographic process in population maintenance.

09/23/2020

Genetic surveys using allozyme and RAPDs techniques have found that populations may have relatively high levels of genetic diversity, and that genetic differentiation may occur among populations

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Relatively wide ranging species but many sites are extirpated (some estimates as high as 70% reduction across range). Most of this species' wet prairie habitat has been destroyed due to drainage and conversion to agriculture, fire suppression, and intensive mowing. Because of the destruction of most of the natural grasslands east of the Mississippi River, large populations no longer occur anywhere in the United States. The mostly small, isolated populations that remain are not representative of populations supported by the once-vast prairie habitat. Because of fire suppression and changes in hydrology remaining sites require active management. As of 2010 with active management, 78% of populations are stable or increasing. However, 83% have severe to moderate management needs.

Marlin L. Bowles

01/01/2010

Threats include (USFWS 1999): Most Platanthera leucophaea populations have been lost through destruction and modification of habitat - primarily conversion of habitat to cropland and pasture. Alteration of hydrology, fire protection, and development

Marlin L. Bowles

01/01/2010

As stated in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Recovery Plan: The eastern prairie fringed orchid has declined more than 70% from original county records in the United States. Most remaining habitats are small, with fewer than 50 plants, and are not representative of the once vast prairie populations of this orchid. A few populations, primarily in successional vegetation, number in the hundreds or thousands. About 60 populations are extant in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Maine. Plants have not been relocated in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Oklahoma.

Marlin L. Bowles

01/01/2010

Research is focusing on genetic analysis, demographic monitoring, reproductive biology, and propagation and introduction techniques. Genetic surveys using allozyme and RAPDs techniques have found that populations may have relatively high levels of genetic diversity, and that genetic differentiation may occur among populations. Demographic monitoring has shown that most plants have a short life-span, often flowering only once. As a result, seed production appears to be an important life history stage and demographic process in population maintenance. Research on reproductive biology is examining how different levels of outcrossing affect seed production and seed viability, and how seed production (when enhanced by hand pollination) may affect the longevity of individual plants. (Vitt 2000) Reintroduction using dispersal of seeds from hand pollinated plants has shown that flowering plants may appear in as few as three years. (Packard 1991; Keibler 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000) Laboratory work has identified mycorrhizal fungi species associated with plants, and has developed techniques for propagating seedlings in association with these soil fungi. (Zettler et a. 2001)

Marlin L. Bowles

01/01/2010

Management of tallgrass prairie populations has focused on using prescribed burning to maintain vegetation composition and structure, and to promote flowering of orchids. Management to reduce invasion by alien species, primarily smooth buckthorn, has used cutting and application of herbicides. Some hydrology management has focused on removal of drain tiles to restore original drainage.

Marlin L. Bowles

01/01/2010

Continued demographic monitoring is needed to provide a better understanding of the viability of orchid populations. Important questions are whether small populations are viable, and whether large population that occur on successional habitats can be maintained. More research is needed to understand the relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and the longevity of orchids.

Marlin L. Bowles

01/01/2010

Work is needed to determine whether ex-situ populations can be maintained, and whether propagation techniques can be developed to produce propagules that can be used for restoration.